title: Prothymosin alpha expression is associated to cell division in rat testis.
abstract: Using immunohistochemical methods, we have investigated the cellular distribution of prothymosin alpha (ProT) in adult rat testis. A policlonal antibody raised against thymosin alpha 1 conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin was used. ProT immunoreactivity was observed in the cytoplasm and nucleus of spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes in initial phases of the first meiotic division, preleptotene, leptotene and zygotene. However, in pachytene phase they already showed a weak or negative staining. On the other hand, secondary spermatocytes, spermatids, spermatozoa and Sertoli cells were not stained. Based on this fact we suggest that ProT is present in the proliferative cycle in the final steps of G1 phase, throughout the S and G2 phases and in initial steps of the prophase.
authors.affiliation: Departamentos de Ciencias Morfológicas and Fisiología, Laboratorios de Neurociencia Ramón Domínguez (FD), Facultad de Medicina, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosón
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gallego
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: García-Caballero
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Heimer
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Domínguez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry; D013737:Testis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D013947:Thymosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D011498:Protein Precursors; C040782:prothymosin alpha; D013947:Thymosin